New Read >>> Carleton Varney

Thursday, January 9, 2014

This article in the Wall Street Journal, Collecting Vintage Design Books, had me going through my collected stacks to see if I had the titles author Gillian Fassel discussed.... Turns out I have 3 of the 5 featured & in multiple copies. You see, I have a real problem walking away from classic design books when I see them at estate sales and/or thrift stores,etc.... Not only from the standpoint that physical books seem to be going by the wayside, but also because I believe it is truly important to always keep an eye on revered & period design of the day.

Carleton Varney, a noted interior designer who has enjoyed a lengthy & successful career, is one such author I keep a look out for when I peruse bookshelves. I currently have a copy of one of his early books, You and Your Apartment, published in 1967. (I also have a slight obsession of tracking down his vintage fabric prints created for Schumacher in the 1970s, which you can read more about here). And lucking for us design enthusiasts, Mr. Varney continues to publish work with his most recent title being released on January 16, Decorating in the Grand Manor: A Design Memoir, (cover above). I've included images below of Mr. Varney (top right corner) and for insight into his signature style, the interiors of a client's lakeside cottage recently featured in House Beautiful magazine....